Flood victims evacuate their homes on boats and on foot in Kampung Labohan Dagang, Banting December 22, 2021. — Picture by Hari Anggara
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 — The number of flood victims at relief centres (PPS) in Pahang, Selangor, Kelantan, Perak and Melaka dropped this afternoon while that in Kuala Lumpur was unchanged.
According to the Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) Info Bencana portal, there were 59,844 evacuees at 376 PPS in Selangor, Pahang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur.
In Pahang, the number of victims dropped to 34,971 people at 259 PPS this afternoon, compared to 35,369 people at noon, according to the JKM Info Bencana application.
The concession holder of East Coast Highway Phase 1 (LPT1), ANIH Bhd, said the route from Chenor to Karak was still not opened on both sides although the water was on a declining trend.
For main roads, among those still cut off are Jalan Pulau Tawar to Durian Hijau and Jalan Kota Gelanggi to Lepar Utara in Jerantut, Jalan Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan and Jalan Gemas-Temerloh in Temerloh, Jalan Serengkam and Jalan Pekan Sehari Kampung Awah in Maran, and Jalan Sungai Lembing in Kuantan.
The level of Sungai Pahang at several locations like Lubuk Pasu, Temerloh; Water Front in Bera and Lubuk Paku, Maran, apart from Sungai Kundang, also in Maran, was still above the danger mark.
In Selangor, the JKM Info Bencana application reported that 111 PPS were housing 22,250 victims from 5,756 families as at 5.32pm, compared to 22,332 people at 109 PPS at 12.21pm.
The Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS) said Sungai Langat at Bukit Changgang, Kuala Selangor has surpassed the danger level with a reading of 4.34 metres at 4.45pm and was on an increasing trend.
In Kelantan, the number of evacuees at 6pm was 1,496 people from 510 families, compared to 1,521 people from 516 families at noon, involving eight PPS in Pasir Mas district.
Meanwhile, the JPS Info Banjir portal reported that no major rivers in Kelantan were at the danger level, with only three rivers at the warning level, namely Sungai Kelantan in Kampung Temangan, Machang; Sungai Kelantan in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas; and Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas.
In Perak, as at 4pm today, the number of flood victims in Changkat Jong, Teluk Intan dropped to 182 people from 245 earlier, placed at two PPS in Hilir Perak district.
A spokesman of the Civil Defence Force and Perak Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said 109 victims were taking shelter at the Dewan Bandaran Teluk Intan PPS and 73 at the Dewan Sekolah Menengah Abdul Rahman Talib PPS.
Meanwhile, PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) has reopened the right lane of the stretch from KM273.3 to KM272.2 at the alignment between the junction of Ipoh Selatan and Ipoh Utara on the North-South Highway after the completion of works to fix a sinkhole.
In Melaka, state Civil Defence Force director Lt Kol (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said the number of flood victims dropped to 131 people from 33 families at 4 pm, compared to 135 people from 34 families, all housed at two PPS in Alor Gajah and Jasin.
In Kuala Lumpur, the JKM Info Bencana application said the number of victims remained at 314 people from 74 families at two PPS this afternoon. — Bernama